Belden Hook-up & Lead Wire

Hook-up & Lead Wire

Belden has been a leading manufacturer of hook-up and lead wire for nearly one century. The basic

elements of this type of cable follow:

Conductors

Belden uses Uni-Strand tinned copper conductors. In this type of construction, the bare copper wires are stranded, then tinned to coat the strands - and also to fill in the interstices between the strands.

This allows for easier wire stripping with no re-twisting operation.

Insulation Materials

PVC (vinyl plastic) insulation is fast stripping, resists oil, solvents, and ozone. The colors are bright and remain distinct after processing. Applications include motors, transformers, fluorescent ballasts and fixtures, switch-boards, panels, controls, rectifiers and electronic circuits. Meets VW-1 Vertical Wire Flame Test in many cases.

Teflon® is a fluorinated thermoplastic with outstanding thermal, physical, and electrical properties. Teflon is generally restricted to applications requiring its special characteristics because its basic resin and processing costs are relatively high.

Belden Teflon wire products are highly recommended for miniature cable applications because of their superior thermal and electrical properties. Teflon is especially suitable for internal wiring-soldering applications where insulation melt back is a specific problem. Belden wiring products insulated with Teflon are outstanding in their resistance to oil, oxidation, heat, sunlight and flame; and also in their ability to remain flexible at low temperatures. They have excellent resistance to ozone, water, alcohol, gasoline, acids, alkalis, aromatic hydrocarbons and solvents.

EPDM (ethylene-propylene diene elastomer) is a chemically cross-linked elastomer with excellent flexibility at high and low temperatures (+150°C to -60°C). It has good insulation and dielectric strength, as well as excellent abrasion resistance and mechanical properties. EPDM also has better cut-through resistance than Silicone rubber, which it replaces in some applications. EPDM is compatible with most varnishes. After the dip and bake cycle, however, the varnish tends to adhere to the insulation because EPDM, unlike some rubber insulations, does not exude oils or waxes. As the lead wires are pulled apart for termination or flexed, the varnish cracks, sometimes tearing the insulation.

To help this problem, a stearic solution is applied to the lead wire during the manufacturing process. However, many varnishes may still bond to the insulation unless other special coatings are applied. (Other slip coats are available at additional cost.) Because most cleaning processes will remove these coatings from the EPDM lead wire, cleaning EPDM lead wire before using in the process is not recommended.

(Due to the above, it is recommended that the compatibility between the individual lead wire size, the bake/varnish process and varnish used always be checked; and if possible, do not allow any varnish to extend beyond a point where the lead wire will be flexed or bent.)

XL-Dur is a lead wire insulation utilizing thermoset, chemically cross-linked poly-ethylene. Because of its excellent physical and electrical properties, XL-Dur is highly desirable for a wide variety of applications.

CSPE® is a chlorosulfonated polyethylene. CSPE insulation has excellent heat resistance, color stability and electrical properties.

Neoprene insulation has good heat aging characteristics and is an excellent low-cost motor lead wire. It may be considered for use in hazardous locations and is being used in explosion-proof motors recognized by UL.

Silicone Rubber (braidless silicone) lead wire features easy and clean stripping without the problems associated with glass braid lead wire. It has excellent physical and mechanical strength properties. Silicone rubber is recommended for high-temperature applications in motors, lighting fixtures, clothes dryers, stoves, therapeutic, and electronic devices. It is recommended that varnish compatibility be checked before production. Some rigid varnishes may cause cracking when the wire is severely bent.

Belden Hook-Up and Lead Wire products are manufactured using these materials and are offered in a variety of sizes and designs to meet rigid industry and government specifications. Manufactured in-house, our hook-up and lead wire process begins with copper rod. Our rubber formulation and plastic mixing facilities give us complete control of the product from start to finish. As a result, consistent quality of these products is always assured.

Our hook-up and lead wire products can be used in a wealth of applications including interconnection circuits, internal wiring of computer and data processing equipment, appliances, lighting, motor leads, heating and cooling equipment, harness fabrication and automotive.